Panel construction



- L. HOFFMAN PANEL COSTRUCTION `llllllllllllllllllllllll IL- my f mi IN VEN TOR. oa/s Hoff-MAN A TTORNE YS. v

Patented June 17, 1930 UNTED STATES LOUIS HOFFMAN, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA PANEL CONSTRUCTION Application led .Tune 18, 1928.

serial No. 286,330.

My invention relates to improvements inmoved and installed elsewhere without invany the construction of paneling, wainscoting-or similar fixtures built of tile, Wood, marble, plate glass mirrors, or like material, and it 5 consists in the constructions, combinations and arrangements hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of my invention is to eliminate the present waste of labory and material in 10 the construction, assembling and installation of the above mentioned devices. The present practice of constructing and setting up of wood paneling and Wainscotingis to make each part thereof a permanent part of the if, whole. To do this properly, each part must be made to an exact size and finish. rl`his is necessary in order that parts may be properly assembled and set up. rIhis method requires extreme exactness in the construction 2.o and setting up of the different parts.

. i Also,in orderto install and set up these pieces,

The present practice of constructing and setting up of vitrolite, marble, plate glass or plate glass mirror, paneling or Wainscoting, also'requires an exactness in size and finish.

it is necessary to drill screw holes in eachof the narrow finishing,r strips. This is necessary because the fixtures are secured to ythe supporting surfaces by screws er bolts.` `Ihis :zi drilling' of holes weakens the finishing' strips il exactness in finish and skill is required, but

50 greatly reduced.

they cannot be removed without the breaking, cracking` or scratching of the parts removed. lVith my invention the various pieces do not have to be built with any eizaetness.

'5 The fixtures will not require persons of any skill to assemble or install them. The danger of cracking, scratching or breaking will be eliminated, and the time required foi.I constructing, assembling or installing will be rlhe fixtures may be remanner injuring` it, and at a cost far lower than that which would be' necessary with present methods of construction. f

lt should be remembered that the device in no case becomes a part of the property to which it is attached, but always remains a fixture which can be readily removed.

Panels, pilasters, rails and bases of stand-l ard sizes, all trimmed and polished on one face and two edges, will be carried in stock ready for installation, for any size place.` Under the present method, it is necessary tor fit each piece on the job, causing,` refinishing ofthe parts altered, but with my invention all refittine` and `refinishing` is eliminated. Any fitting or cutting necessary to accoinmodate any certain area of Wall will be done to the under frame that supports 'the vitrolite or other finishing materials. All necessary fastening to any surface willV be done on the wood under'frames. All alterations on the finished pieces carried in stock will be done on the two unfinished edges, and the-se unfinished edges will be covered by brackets, and thus present a secure and finished job Without exact fitting and refinishing as is now required. f

@ther objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds, and the novel features will be particularly point-ed out in the appended claims.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing formingl a part of this application, in which i Figure l is a front elevation of the device shown in operative position, a portion being' broken away vfor disclosing the hidden supporting structure;

Figure 2 is a section alongjthe line 2-2 of Figure l;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of 'one of the supporting brackets lookingl at the device from the rear; and

Figure 4 shows a perspective view of a different bracket looking` at it from the front.'

.The device vis installed directly in front of Va Wall or partition. I mount a channel iron 4 beneath the device, and this is sup# ported by the flooi' 5. This iron may be'` up lil@ intend to use.

against the rail 3 if desired, or it may be spaced slightly therefrom by the layer vof plaster 6 as shown in the drawing.

At the topV of my panel construction, I

'mount anangle iron 7, this being secured to Reference to Figure l shows large panels A and small panels B. I will therefore provide large and small viframes, and these framesrwill abut each other along their vertical edges 10`as shown at the left hand lower corner of Figure 1. l 1

YEach frame has a rabbet 11 that extends around the four sides kfor receiving the panel sections A and B.; The sections may be of any material desired, and in order to have a contrast,`I make the panels A and B of white vitrolte, `while Vthe stripsV holding them in place are of black vitrolite. j

The strips 12 overlie the frames 9 and lap over the edges of the panelsA and B. The strips are securedin place by brackets or binders indicated generally at 13 (see the enlarged views of the binders in Figures 3 and 4). The binders not .only secure the strips in `place,.but also act asornaments. In Figure 4 I Vshow the type ofbinder or`bracket that is" disposed at the top of the device. Figure 3 shows the bracket used midway between the top and bottom. The brackets at the. bottom are longer lthan the others in order to receive the relatively wide base strip.

The brackets have legs 14 (see Figure 3) that bear against the panels A and B, and

these legs define recesses 15 that are large enough to receive the strips 12. Openings Y16 are provided in the brackets, through which screws 17 are passed (see Figure 2), these screws passing on into the frames 9 for securely holding the brackets in place. The legs of the bracket are not quite as long as the thickness of the strips 12. This is to assure a clamping'action of the bracket upon the strips when the former are screwed into place. This type of construction also permits slight variations in the thicknesses of the various parts, and` the brackets will still securely clamp the panels and strips in place.

In dismantling the device, all that is Vnecy essary is toremove the screw 17, whereupon the strips 12 and panels A and B maybe removed. vThe frames 9 may now be taken down, and likewise the channel iron 4 and the angle iron 7. The device may bequickly secured to any other supporting surface, and will closely resemble a permanent structure whenineposition. The ends of the strips 12 enter the recesses 15, and in the case of the vertically-disposed strips, the lower ends rest upon the screws' 17 and are thus supported.

construction I.

Although I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention, it is to be une derstood that the same is susceptible of various changes, and I reserve the right to employ such changes as may come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim t 1. The combination with a Supporting surface, of a plurality'of iframes removably secured to said surface, each frame having a re cessed portion` for receiving a panel, panels carried by each frame and being receivable in the recesses, strips covering the adjacent edges oi' said panels, and brackets covering the ends of said strips, said brackets being secured to said frames by screws.

2. The combination with a supporting'sur face, of a panel construction removably secured theretov and comprising frames removably secured to said surface and having recesses therein', panels removably disposed in said recesses, strips covering the adjacentV edges of the panels, brackets having legsl straddling the ends oi' the strips and stopping short oiy contacting withA the panels, and i means for removably securing the brackets to the frames. K f

3. A removable panel construction comprising a plurality of frames havingpanel receiving recesses, panels received in said recesses, strips coveringl adjacent edges of the LOUIS HOFFMAN. 

